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This is the course blog for PH 663 -- the theory-based, practical, action-packed Health Communication course for ace Health Promotion students in the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University.
Week 1: Course intro & overview
-Health Communications
-Types of Communication
-Functions of Communication
Week 2: Labor Day-No Class
Week 3: How Theory Shapes Health Campaigns
-SMCRD
-Them/Us
-Who says/hears what
-Hierarchy of effects
-2 Paths
-"house"
Week 4: Formative Research Overview, Presentation Skills
-"Wrong reason" Health Promotion
-Uses & gratification
-Effects model
-Selectivity
-Formative research
-Active listening
-Focus groups
-Presenation skills
-Body language
Week 5: Understanding & Segmenting Your Audiences I
-Benefits and features
-Segmentation principles
-Types of Segmentation (Demographic, Geographic, Psychographic, Behavioral)
Week 6: Understanding & Segmenting Your Audiences II
-VALS segmentation
-PRIZM geographic
-Forward segmentation
-Backward segmentation
-Inductive
Week 7: Health Literacy
-Health literacy
-Functional literacy
-Levels of literacy (and %s)
-"Showing" vs. "telling"
-Plain language
-SMOG/FOG
Week 8: Message Strategies
-Benefits
-Barriers
-Model
-Types of messages (fear, testimonial, slice of life)
-Risk communication
-Gains vs. losses
-Reference points/anchors
Week 10: Advertising, Public Relations & Media Advocacy
Week 11: Web 2.0, Games, & Interactive Technology
-"media hound"
-Reporters NOT your friends
-Manipulation and ethics
-Find your voice
-Positioning
-"Top of mind"
-Web 2.0 (10 principles)
Week 13: Popular Culture and Entertainment
-Communication contract (presuasion/entertainment)
-Agenda setting
-Entertainment-Education Continuum
Week 14: Mini-Project 2 Presentations
LESSONS TO KEEP IN MIND FOR FINAL PROJECT
- The project should be a reflection of the objectives
- Remember that methods and strategies are distinct concepts
- It's ok to modify objectives and strategies... justify the change!
- Great job not reading from the slides!!!
21 comments:
Hi all,
I was a little undone in class yesterday. This P.R. stuff makes me nervous. Check out my latest blog entry for what my dad thought was a good read based on my brief experience working at a P.R. firm.
Ironically, my dad commented on my entry by talking about the FEMA press conference!
the guest lecturer we had this week on public relations was interesting, albeit intense! she knows PR like the back of her hand, and really drilled home the concept of keeping the audience at the center of the proposal/campaign. no matter if the audience is a community we're working to change behaviors in, or a media outlet we're working with to further our campaign, the first thing to do is get to know your audience and learn how to communicate with them. she gave some good tips on how to address the media, and how to follow-up with them respectfully. i think following up is sometimes the hardest part of any campaign or study. keeping track of who you've contacted, when, and when best to call them back can be tricky and intimidating when you're ignored. one of the best things i took from our speaker was to remember that this is your job. contacting people, following up, and continuing to press your point are crucial aspects to any campaign. to really make others understand the importance of your campaign and be successful, you have to be persistent!
So... back to school.
My food stamps group went up and presented. We will be meeting today to go over the details. I think it went well for a first draft. We are all doing our part to get this done and get it done right.
As for grades for the midterm, I got a !. Must have been an exciting grade ;) j.k.
Anyways... we talked about PR. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of PR is Samantha from Sex and the City. Bad, I know, but hey we are exposed by the media. When I think of PR, I think of exciting things that she did... and in reality, PR is not as high paying as they make it appear as well as not as glamorous... unless you own your own entertainment firm (which Samantha did). PR is a tough job and true, you have to be a media hound to know what is going on and what to put out there. I would not like to do it because it's a lot of networking and although I am social, I do not like being the "in between" person.
FOR MY BIT ON THE LECTURE FROM THE PR: go to my blog: lsirikul.blogspot.com
If no one noticed... I lifted my eyebrows during my presentations, even with a welt (from allergies)... ;)
Anyways... I'm off to work... back to my life before the fires. No time to oversleep or work on thesis (unless I force it and therefore, lack of sleep).
When our guest speaker told us that her mother never understood what she did for a living, I wasn't surprised. I still don't really get it, either.
Like many other things in life, PR seems like a big game to me. Who can sell their story the best? It seems to me that it doesn't really matter how IMPORTANT your story is...all that matters is how well you researched the reporter, how well you can suck up to the reporter, and how exciting you can make it sound.
Ok, ok...so maybe I shouldn't be so cynical. I understand the value of Laura's (I think that was her name) insight. She has obviously been in the business for a while and knows what she is talking about. Her tips were definately something that I will hang on to...
Hello everyone,
I have to say it was nice to have our guest speaker in classs the other day and it is obvious that she is extremenly passionate about her work. A few thing stick in my mind, "The media may be friendly, but not your friend" this makes me think of professional boundary issues, which are improtant in any business, or else things get a little sticky. I liked her "cut to the chase" approach of getting rid of unneeded works, I love that, lets get to the point and move on!!! SO I was curious to ask her about the amount of Shmoozing that goes on in PR, but I didnt know quite how to put it, so I decided not to. At any rate it was a good lecture. OUr group is getting ready to start mini project #2, yippeee... It doesnt seem so mini to me, but oh well...
I want Michelle to know how much I agree with her position, and experience her weariness, regarding Pr and communications in general. My brother, who is apparently better informed then I, told me about the fema fake press conference. That only reinforced my feelings of inadequacy but i dont want to be a PR person. i dont like manipulation. i am a starry eyed idealist, who hopes people will come to realization of the logic in my message without the smoke and mirrors. While the more pragmatic, dare I say grad student, side of me rationalizes the "cues" that must be used in PR and communication in order to get exposure and people to listen. Arg. Dichotomy is killing me:)
On a side note, keep the Haitian ( and Dominican)people in your thoughts and prayers as they struggle to recover from Noel, one of the worst tropical storms in history.
I don't really have strong opinions either way about PR. Seems like a lot of people in the class are very anti-PR, but maybe only the few who were quick to blog about the lecture (only six people have posted so far) really care that much. Maybe the rest of us are a little less passionate about the topic - I know I am. I do admit, however, that I frequently roll my eyes at the allegedly objective news that I hear on tv or read in the newspaper. Almost all reporters have an obvious slant, particularly when politics are involved. No wonder politicians can go from #1 to #10 in the polls nearly overnight - they are so scrutinized that something they say can be taken completely out of context and blasted all over the media with a completely different meaning than they originally intended. That said, politcians are essentially PR people themselves, especially when they are running for office, but that's another topic.
Anyway, the FEMA ordeal was crazy - I had heard about it before class (fortunately saving me from being lambasted by our guest speaker...) and thought it was utterly ridiculous. Many other PR stunts are also laughable, so I'll just laugh and move on with my day :)
I never really understood PR till i took a job at a PR firm back home right after college...and I must say it's not really my favorite profession. I guess it was just too cut throat for me. But the class was quite interesting...brought back memories of all the times I had to write articles on random things and go and sell them to newspapers all over the place...I feel that there is a lot of scope for PR in health communication since it is such a new and as yet undiscovered field..and we as health communicators should make full use of its benefits.
Honestly I felt the guest speaker was really boring. I am sorry, but that is the truth. I did take some intense notes during her presentation, so its not to say that she didn't have something informative to say. I get that we really should be paying attention to the news going on around us, but when was the last time she was in college? I don't have the time (or the money) to be reading every newpaper in my area and across the nation and the world. I may have time for the evening news, but sometimes I don't even have time for that, and its depressing.
I really feel I have gotten more information about what PR is from the assigned readings but I really liked her information about joining a press club. Sorry, but that is all I have to say at this time.
I agree with Amanda M.; after Laura’s lecture I still kind of felt in the dark about what she truly did…but the information from the readings and a little savvy internet research, really helped to clear things up.
Essentially, the point of public relations is to present their client in a positive light, promote awareness, and increase sales and/or patronage of a product or service. Ah ha, at last I get it!! P.R. is just everything we’ve been talking about this semester; creating a message, promoting that message to a target audience, and increasing awareness or use. I just think the term P.R., almost carries a negative perception with the public. You usually only hear about publicity stunts, such as the previously mentioned FEMA press conference.
I did really like what Laura had to say about follow up. I believe there is always a fine line between assertive and annoying, and getting any type of guideline is always helpful.
Anyway, is it me or does this semester seem to be flying by?
Funny that Laura thought of Samantha from Sex and the City when she heard PR because so did I. In the show the job always seemed so glamorous and well-paying. I guess reality is a little different.
When the guest speaker said that her mother never understood what she did, it reminded me of when I tell people I am studying Public Health. They always seem to responds with “that’s cool” or “that’s interesting”, but have a confused look on their face. If they ask a following question it is always, “so what do you want to do with that” or “so what exactly is that” or else they immediately think of medical things. While Public Health is becoming better known, a lot of people don’t really know what it is.
Interestingly enough this guy started talking to me on the trolley today on my way to school. He asked what I was studying. I responded with “I am getting my Master’s in Public Health”. His response was, “so what are you going to work at FEMA or something?” I laughed thinking he was kidding because of the press conference I too had heard about before Monday. I then realized he hadn’t heard about it and was serious.
More on my blog
Before our introduction to public relations, the words that came to mind when I heard that term was networking and exposure. Hopefully, if I understand it correctly, my thinking wasn't completely off? Like Amanda and a couple of others my understanding of it - especially the end product (paperwork and what will be done with the paperwork by the press) is still a bit foggy.
Honestly, I didn't find this topic as interesting as the other topics but I think I should get interested and understand it soon bc ppl are really using it. I was just talking to someone from the County of San Diego HHSA and she (unsolicited, I must add) said that she uses press releases. I was surprised and when asked if they really use that she said, "Oh, yeah."
I guess what's made it hardest for me to understand press releases, and our projects too, is that I don't truly understand the end product...nevertheless, it should be interesting to see what we all come up with...ciao...
OH so glad to be back to school and work and normal life! This week's guess lecture was... I'm going to be very honest here... not that enjoyable. I usually love guest lecturers, but this one had me doodling flowers on my paper 1/2 way through her lecture. She definitely knew what she was talking about, and was definitely quite passionate about it, I just wasn't that interested in the topics she chose to discuss (e.g. how to write queries and then follow up on them by either "email and snail mail or email and phone calls approximately 2-4 days later, leaving no more than 2 voicemail messages"). I don't know, maybe I am just not that interested in journalism, advertising, and PR stuff. Although a little bored by her lecture, I was happy to hear her mention how hungry the news is for health promotion and disease prevention. She also mentioned two prominent issues in public health-- sensitivity and privacy. These are two very important issues to consider when dealing with public health and behavior modification. I was a little offended when she shamed us for not being totally caught up on the news and everything that is happening around us. Does she remember what it's like to be in school and work?? I'd love to be more aware of the worldly news and all that’s happening around me, but I have classes and work and a thesis that takes up most of my free time. Most of the time my head is stuck in a HP book or journal article. Maybe I'll try harder to squeeze a little news time into my schedule, but I don't think I'll ever be the "media hound" she would like me to be. Anyways, although I wasn't that interested in the lecture, I did learn the basics of PR and what it entails. It also made me realize how much I enjoy our class discussions and Dr. Engelberg's lectures --which are always very interesting and also very funny!
The group presentation on food stamps... this I enjoyed!
Hi all,
I'm impressed by how open all of you were about this week's lecture. Congrats on that! This is supposed to be an honest forum for reactions about the class so I'm glad that's working!
Personally, I did like the speaker. It was a little weird that she didn't have any visual materials-- is that some new presentation technique? Too many people use visuals in order to hide the fact that they don't know what they are talking about. Not so here.
I also thought it was interesting that she played "Spill Your Guts" with me when I walked her to her car-- and I didn't realize it until I got back to class! She could give lessons on that too!
Anyways I got an intro to PR that I'm looking forward to applying in the project (what a nerd huh?).
This week in class we had a guest lecture from Laura Walcher public relations guru. I found her presentation to be interesting and she had some good tips about how to get the media to pay attention to your campaign. Although I have a better idea - I must admit I'm still not too sure exactly what PR entails. One thing in her presetnation that I thought was interesteing was her statement that "the media may be friendly but they are not your friends". I think this statement is so true. Just like us health communicators the members of the media have a job to do and that might mean that we will not always like what they have to say.
I liked the advise she gave us about writing press releases and also about how to follow-up. Follow-up is something that you will have to do no matter what job you have and I always tend to feel like I am being annoying when in fact I am just trying to get my job done. So I am grateful for the tips! Another point Laura made was about being informed about what is going on in the news. I wish there was a one stop shop that has all the information I needed! It can be so overwhelming to try and follow what is going on in the world. It is so importatnt to be informed but also challenging when you already have limited time. I am going to try to be better about this one - although I'm not making any promises!
Hello All - I also thought of Samantha from Sex in the City when we started talking about PR - how funny... anyways, the guest lecture was cool - it was nice to get some insight on what PR actually is, since to be honest I had no idea! And Jennie you are funny w/ your "new presentation technique" w/out visuals - I too thought that was a bit odd. =) All in all its nice to have some insight, since I may have gone my whole life w/out ever knowing what PR was. As far as keeping up w/ the news, I agree that its a good idea - although it can be tough with all of the work we are already busy doing as students.
Additionally I would like to say good job to the food stamps group. Interesting topic - esp. the idea of stigma as a barrier to usage.
First of all I want to talk about the food stamp presentation. I hate to admit it but I knew little of how foodstamps work other than having the stereotype that it's mainly used by people who were on welfare and had children to feed. Therefore, I feel like I learned a lot during the group's presentation since I never knew people who were out of jobs for a few months could also qualify for foodstamps. Although I'm not surprised about how difficult it is just to receive the government assistance, especially having to wait in a waiting room the entire day just to be greeted by disgruntled workers. I think this is going to be an interesting project since it can seriously benefit a lot of people during difficult times.
The guest speaker, was well....really intense, especially when it came down to the FEMA press conference. I couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, but then realized it's because she's so passionate about her career and feels it is a very important topic that we, as health educators, should at least be familiar with. I understood her point of view, but seeing that we haven't had much background info to go on I think she gave an honest presentation of how PR has affected her life; both with her career and family (I think she mentioned her daughter had PR firm). She did deliver valid reasons as to why we should be aware of what is going on around us , in our communities, statewide, and nationwide. I'm guilty of rarely ever reading the newspaper, other than the school paper, and I prefer not to watch the news since it's so depressing. All in all, her main focus did stress on centering PR messages for the "client" or in our cases the organization we will work for towards delivering their messages in a clear, straightforward way, which can hopefully appeal to readers and convince they to somehow improve their health.
Wow...you can absolutely tell that the guest speaker was sooo into PR. How about that comment about reading the newspaper? Shhh! I always seem to hear that from different people that it is very important to read the newspaper and be updated with todays events. However, I just can't seem to squeeze this into my crazy chaotic life! This week I had to contact a media person to talk about doing a press release on the project i'm coordinating and I kept thinking...."THE MEDIA IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!" Haha!! Its really true though. She gave us some great tips! Also, the presentation on Food-stamps was very interesting! I had always assumed that the EBT just meant some other form of a debit card that I hadn't used before, but had never once thought that it was linked to food stamps. It was nice to know too that the people that utilize the system are not the stereotypes. Good presentation:)!
Howdy! It's funny, but I usually have a hard time staying awake in most classes except for Health Comm and I think it's because
I appreciate everyone's honesty regarding the guest speaker. I temporarily felt like a jack a$$ not knowing about the FEMA shenanigan. Here's my (perhaps small-minded) view on her comment that we should know everything about everything at every moment in the news--I don't agree. While in Moldova for 2.5 years, I was for the most part cut off from American media except for the Newsweek magazines Peace Corps admin occasionally sent to us at our villages. At first it was hard not knowing what was happening in the world, but then I realized that things keep happening, the world keeps turning regardless if I have heard about it or not-amazing! It was apathetically peaceful for a time to not be bombarded with the latest news, deemed "important" by someone else. This may seem like a horrible attitude to some of you (sorry Dr. E) but while it's good to be informed and up to date, there's something to be said for stepping back and reconnecting with the world in other ways.
Although I procure the newspaper, I don't have time everyday to read it. Luckily it doesn't go to waste as my roommates also snag sections through which to glance. Do I feel bad? Not really--there is only so much time in the day. I have learned that, for me, it makes more sense to pick and choose. I seek out information which I find personally relevant and really dive in as opposed to skimming the surface on every single topic (about many of which I do not care.) I don't like business and (although important) I really can't stand politics. I choose to inform myself about issues in which I can have an impact in my field as well as reading the funnies.
Well, anyway, let me hop down from my soap box. Food stamps--great job! I just might look in to signing up until I get out out of grad school and get a real job that pays more than my rent. I like the idea of directly addressing stigmas and stereotypes--I think that's the best way to make changes!
Hee, hee...fell asleep while writing my blog! Go figure!
The class this week was interesting in a “weird” way. I guess I never really thought of public relations as part of health promotion, but I can see how this tool can be a powerful one in promoting health. The guest speaker actually used some techniques that I am using right for my Health Promotion Planning and Assessment class (PH666) with Dr. Koslow. She talked about developing goals that realistic, specific, measurable, tractable and time bound. Also, she mentioned community outreach, community involvement, and networking. Familiarizing ourselves with media….we need to be “media hounds”. As we have learned throughout this semester, if we use media as a tool to get our message out, we need to know the stories, know what interests them in order to successfully utilize this tool. As in “know thy self”, but instead “know thy tools”. However, I don’t know everyone else in class, but dealing with reporters or the media is a very unfamiliar territory for me and a little bit scary/intimidating. It’s a great tool to use as we have learned in class last week, but getting a few hours of lecture in class doesn’t really make me confident that I will able to navigate the world of PR and media. But as Dr. Engelberg stated in class PR and Media is just another tool we can use to spread the word of our health promotion campaigns.
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